That 8-day Starliner mission is now 233 days in
Shortly before NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams headed toward the Starliner spacecraft at the launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida last June, they probably said something to their family and friends like, “See you next week.” .
That’s because their stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) was expected to last eight days during Starliner’s first manned flight. But the mission took an unexpected turn when the spacecraft encountered some technical problems on its way to the ISS. Fortunately, the capsule was able to dock, and Wilmore and Williams were able to board the ISS safely. However, after several weeks of trying to resolve the problems, it was eventually decided that, as a precaution, the Starliner would be brought home empty.
As a result, officials had to decide how exactly to return Wilmore and Williams to Earth.
After much discussion, it was eventually decided that the couple would ride on SpaceX’s returning Crew Dragon spacecraft with Crew-9 astronauts in February. But then, in December, NASA announced that Crew 9 would not return home until March.
In one of the most remarkable astronaut missions in recent years, Wilmore and Williams’ orbital adventure lasted 233 days—225 days longer than originally planned.
“You have to turn the page and look at the next opportunity,” Williams said of the unexpected situation back in September. “We’re actually really excited about flying two different spacecraft… We’re testers.”
Determined to remain optimistic throughout, Wilmore noted that he and Williams were “very fortunate” to be able to remain on the space station for an extended period and have a backup option in development, noting that there have been “many instances in the past where others there were no options.”
Notably, the pair remain in orbit much longer than most astronaut missions to the ISS, which typically last about six months, and their journey will last nine months.
However, they have a lot of scientific research to do, and the workspace offers a unique view.